1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to securing systems, and more particularly, to a securing system to secure a portable basketball pole assembly in place.
2. Background
It is a known problem that portable basketball pole assemblies are prone to tipping during use, or in windy conditions. A number of conventional methods for securing such poles have been proposed. However, none of them include sufficiently beneficial features which allow them to hold the pole in place securely enough, while being easy to install and convenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,281 issued to Williams discloses a basketball pole assembly which is anchored by a large barrel designed to contain a substance such as water. Such a large container is unsightly, space-consuming, and inconvenient. Furthermore, its effectiveness is limited by the weight of the substance it holds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,233, also issued to Williams, shows another anchored portable basketball pole assembly with a different configuration. A large barrel is actually designed to fit around the pole. Again, this is space-consuming, inconvenient, and limited in effectiveness.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,612 and 5,377,976, both issued to Matherne et al., disclose a typical pole assembly with a base. The base is intended to hold a substance such as water to weight the base to secure the pole. However, this typical arrangement is insufficient to secure a pole, as is widely known.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,734 issued to van Nimwegen, an anchoring system is proposed in which members pass through the base and fasten into a playing surface. First, one needs a specially designed base in order to use such a system. Secondly, in most applications, such basketball pole assemblies are positioned over dirt, and this system would not secure the pole very well in such conditions.
None of these prior devices provides an effective, convenient manner in which to secure a basketball pole assembly. Thus, the need remains for a highly effective and convenient system to secure portable basketball pole assemblies.